When you say someone is "Sur son 31", it means he’s wearing his Sunday best.

This Sur son 31 was a French programme broadcast on New Year's Eve, 1980.

Recorded at same time as Show Express, (you can recognise the background and their hair is the same - plus only Frida and Agnetha have changed outfits, but Benny and Björn have not), ABBA filmed a little "skit" for this programme which showed ABBA standing around a piano and Frida and Agnetha humming Happy New Year when the telephone rang. Frida answered the red telephone to the hosts, a group of comedians known as Les Charlots in France.  (Les Charlots have since split and worked separately but they were quite famous at the time. Gerard Rinaldi, former member of Les Charlots died on 2 March 2012).

ABBA then all signed a Super Trouper postcard and Agnetha held it up to the camera and they all said, "Happy New Year" in French. 

Then the same Happy New Year performance is shown as on Swedish TV.

Running order of the show:

1. Mireille Mathieu - Une femme amoureuse
2. Groupe Téléphone - Au coeur de la nuit
3. Michel Sardou - Comme d'habitude (extract)
4. Michel Sardou - Victoria
5. Blue Bell Girls - ballet scene Wonderful, Allez Lido
6. Sketch - Jean Marais, Charlot, Yves Montand, Marie Christine Barrault, Serge Lama
7. Tino Rossi - Quand l'amour meurt
8. Guy Beart and Dominique Dimey - Bonne année, bonne chance
9. Serge Lama - Ballerine
10. Dalida - Le Chanteur des Années 80
11. Troupe Brésilienne
12. ABBA - Happy New Year
13. Sketch
14. Richard Clayderman - Lettre a ma mere
15. Karen Cheryl - Si
16. Sketch Johnny Hallyday, King Club, and the company of d'Albert Minski
17. Johnny Hallyday - chante Ma Gueule (extract)
18. Les Charlots - Merci Patron
19. Groupe Le Grand Orchestre du Splendid - Qu'est ce qu'on attend pour etre Heureux, Macao et La Salsa du Démon.
20. Closing scene

ABBA wore the pink/purple/lilac/burgundy silk suits they had first in the Happy New Year and Felicidad PROMOs; also worn for Stars and that Björn had worn for Aplauso.

Click here for a TV listing from Nouvelliste - 31 December 1980, p.5.

Archive data from French TVS’ archive:
Sur son 31
Collection : A2 / France 2
N° de notice : CPB80055496
Date de 1re diffusion : mercredi 31/12/1980
Durée : 01:37:00

Thanks to Jozsef, Henk, Erik Liebstaedter and Pascale Ranson. Extra thanks to Chris Williams, Daniel Smeets and David Legrand c/o ABBAtalk.
YouTube link c/o ABBA RICO